27/11/11

Thanksgiving with singing

Psalms 108:3 - I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples; And I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.


Some days back the people in USA celebrated Thanksgiving Day in which family members or close ones come together thanking the Lord. No doubt there are lots of customs which have taken the center stage of their coming together, like the dinner and the turkey therefore even atheist celebrate this day for they look at the customs but not the purpose. But in the scriptures the Lord tells us the center point of our coming together to celebrate a thanksgiving should be singing praise unto Him.

We should realize the difference between making a statement, saying a poem and singing songs. They all have words but in each of them there is lots of difference.

A statement is simple words and a poem has more than words. In a poem the words do not have just understanding but also a depth of feeling. In case of songs rhythm gets added unto these feelings. The rhythm may be just vocal or also instrumental. It is this rhythm which enhances our emotions and takes it to its peak. Like crying is unto prayers, singing is unto worship. That is why when we worship the Lord in songs we experience great anointing because it helps our weak soul to increase in relationship unto the Lord. It is also this reason why we do not have any scripture in which Jesus sang hymns to worship His Father (leaving for one place when He was in His weakest moments). He simply did it in words for His relationship was already at its peak. In our case we struggle in our relationship so we desperately need to worship the Lord in songs.

The book of Psalms was initially segregated into 5 books according to the book of Moses. The psalms were put into the book not according to their release or date written but according to the book of Moses.

Book 1 - Psalms 1-41 was called the Genesis book
Book 2 - Psalms 42-72 was called the Exodus book
Book 3 - Psalms 73-89 was called the Leviticus book
Book 4 - Psalms 90-106 was called the Numbers book
Book 5 - Psalms 107-150 was called the Deuteronomy book

If you read the Psalms they give a better understanding of their respective books of Moses. What people have found that when the Hebrew text alphabets are substituted into notations and played the music also gives a depth of what the words do!!!

Jesus did not need to sing hymns and unless we think we have already reached that spiritual level of Jesus, we have overcome our flesh and can transfigure then we too do not need to sing hymns. But since we have not, we need to come together and sing praise unto the Lord as thanksgiving.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we pray your people do all things with understanding. Lord, help us lift our voices, play instruments so as to enhance our worship and coming closer to You in relationship. Worship helps us enter your gates but singing in worship, helps us rush through your gates. Bring your people together as one body, in one understanding and in one emotion...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Psalms 95:1-3
1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:18-20
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Matthew 26:29-30
29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.



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